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Mabel

Born in the mountains of Malaga, Mabel was raised between Spain, London and spent ten years in the sometimes-claustrophobic confines of Stockholm. She started writing songs from the age of five, as inspired by turn-of-the-century Soul and emerging R&B (Destiny’s Child, Jhené Aiko) as the discipline and emotional honesty of Jazz, which was played constantly around the house.

Quite literally played, too: exposed to life on the road and frequently falling asleep to the vibrations of heavy bass coming from the home studio, Mabel quickly realised that her family were a little different from the others on the block (her Mum and Dad are Neneh Cherry and Massive-Attack producer Cameron McVey).

Mabel was less than forthcoming in her own ability, however: she dauntedly refused to play anyone bar her best friend any songs until the age of sixteen, and studied production and music theory at college in Sweden until late last year, when the family returned to London. Mabel unveiled her first track, ‘Know Me Better’, in July 2015. It’s an infectious and immediately-refreshing introduction, in her own voice: mixing big, Lauryn-Hill-inspired beats, soulful keys and little more than Mabel’s rich, crystal-clear vocal, ‘Know Me Better’ is about not judging a book by its cover, and the deeper understanding achieved when you let your guard down in a relationship. Spurred on by her grandmother’s advice to her Mum when she was pregnant – to never separate life, and that family and creativity can work together – Mabel has stepped out of the shadows as one of the bright young talents of 2015.